


Demons Within

by nights_mist



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Jötunn Loki, Kinky, M/M, Possessed Tony, Suicidal Thoughts, Tony Angst, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-27
Updated: 2015-11-23
Packaged: 2018-04-17 12:20:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4666329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nights_mist/pseuds/nights_mist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Long time reader first time writer XD yeah, got bored of waiting for updates and decided to actually write something instead OoO;; SHOCK! No beta because I`m awesome!!.. lol or not.  ;>>  lol I like angst so fair warning if this twisted plot isn`t your style. Updates may be slowish... I`m not a fast writer. =P Sorry.</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. The Hand of Justice

**Author's Note:**

> Long time reader first time writer XD yeah, got bored of waiting for updates and decided to actually write something instead OoO;; SHOCK! No beta because I`m awesome!!.. lol or not. ;>> lol I like angst so fair warning if this twisted plot isn`t your style. Updates may be slowish... I`m not a fast writer. =P Sorry.

It was a moment of pure confusion; the usual calm waters of Loki`s mind easily gauging and reacting to innumerable situations with effortless precision now was somehow bereft. His mind stalled in a desperate attempt to calculate his own feelings in the matter, sieving through memories of the last few years since the invasion. This mess had all started just less than a year ago...

Nine Months Ago:  
"THOR!! How many times ar...mmph!!" Tony had started to complain as the otherworldly warrior had just crashed through his window, "For the forth fucking time!" Tony thought bitterly, but Thor had effectively muted Tony`s attempt at communication with his godly sized and muscular hand. Although, Tony supposed his scathing glare was communicating his feelings right now just fine - "Fuck you."

"I am sorry, Man of Iron, but my news is not that which can be delayed." Thor took in a deep breath as if to steady himself. "Loki has esc... He is no longer held in Asgard." Tony could only emote through the widening of his eyes as Thor`s hand was still acting as a vice over his mouth. "I, I know not of his location or his... condition..." Thor`s thoughts faltered into a moment of thoughtful silence. 

Tony was tempted to bite his hand, reminding the alien that the billionaire was still his unwilling hostage. Tempted... but not stupid enough to risk bodily harm that could result from a mentally unstable Thunderer. 

Shaking his head as if to rid himself of his thoughts, Thor continued. "I would seek your council in finding his person in a timely manner. I beseech you, as I know none more suited to the task at hand." With that he slowly removed his hand and looked into Tony`s eyes with an open and determined expression. 

"Mm-kay... I just have one question, big guy, what the hell exactly do you want to do with your precious `lil bro when or IF we find him?" 

The god`s face tightened as his voice boomed the reply, "He shall be returned to Asgard that he may face the All Father`s full judgement!"

"Full judgement..." Tony parroted as he thought, "Wait. Are you saying he HASN`T actually been punished yet at all!?"

The mass of sinew and muscles started to sway side-to-side for a moment while Thor struggled with his answer. "Loki had given the All Father some reasons to believe that he had been... motivated to act in the way he did against his will."

Tony quirked his eyebrow up. Thor seeing it, tightened his lips before saying, "It is true that my brother has a reputation for distorting truths, but it was a claim that needed to be thoroughly examined before any more serious punishment could be administered. I hold no false hopes to his innocence now, Man of Iron. He has fled from Asgard and in doing so, has proven his guilt. I will have him returned to face what must be done."

"OK big guy, I get it. I`ll help you get `ol bag-of-cats back to his comfy cell back home."

\----------------------  
If Thor hadn't wanted his conversation to be monitored maybe next time he should think about not announcing his presence to the whole fucking neighborhood by smashing another Avengers Tower window, not that Barton minded the obvious invite.  
\----------------------


	2. A/C Control Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint listens in and gets more than be bargained for....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo.. apparently I write so slow that it's actually not that annoying to write this on my tablet. Meaning my commute to work now feels very short.

\----------------------  
If Thor hadn't wanted his conversation to be monitored maybe next time he should think about not announcing his presence to the whole fucking neighborhood by smashing another Avengers Tower window, not that Barton minded the obvious invite.  
\----------------------

"You're telling me that the bastard is lurking here on earth trying to whack Thor?!" Barton practically yelled as two sets of eyes locked onto the opening of the air duct.

One pair looked down, perhaps embarrassed at the revelation of his brother's intent to "exact revenge upon the traitorous wretches who dare claim any familial bond." While the other pair rolled towards the ceiling, "Goddamnit Clint, is this gonna be an everyday thing with you now?" 

The owner of the aforementioned air ducts now massaging his temple. "I'm not even surprised anymore! Seriously, what's next? Fucking Romanoff while you're in there!?"

The hyperbole made the usually focused mind of the archer wander for a moment picturing a certain red haired agent holed up together with him in the oh-so-tight space; hidden in such a public area where anyone might hear the creaks and squeaks of the ventilation shaft as it moved under their undulations and orga-"I SAID, 'ARE YOU COMING DOWN BIRD BRAIN?!'"

"Aah... Nah, man. I'll just stay in here." Clint replied half heartedly while attempting to divert his thoughts to a decidedly less provocative frame of mind. Like hell he would give Tony any evidence to support the claim (regardless of its humorous intent) that Clint would have sex in the ceiling, particularly because the idea was good enough to revisit later with his left hand... Yep, definitely going to be a few minutes before he could leave his hiding spot without losing most of his dignity. 

Blue eyes flickered up to the grate for a moment before returning to their downcast state. "I had not thought to burden the Avengers any more with the woes my brother would incite. He is weakened and will pose no great challenge to one such as myself. I am assured he is on Midgard seeking to engage me in an ancient battle of honor that he might clear his name. However, I know he shall surely fail in his quest and the punishment for his fleeing judgement will be..." 

Every muscle in the god visibly tensed, his hands balled into tight fists as he fought for control over his emotions. Thor's voice turned rough as he rasped out, "Death. He would be bled out in the square for all to see!" His voice of brotherly concern now picking up in speed and desperation, "Yet I know if I can but get him back to his cell before too much time has passed- By All Father's might! I swear that no such fate shall befall Loki!"

"We'll help." The voice, demonstrating military calm, projected from around the corner that led away from the living room. The captain rounded the corner continuing, "Avengers being involved with any problems Loki presents while on earth is not up for discussion. We'll need to have a full debriefing. Meeting in ten."

\-----------------------------  
Seriously, who the hell actually paid attention to these boring meetings? Well, OK so Thor did, but that's because he's an idiot. Bruce pays attention, but he's just too nice to not pay attention. Tony would bet the rights to his latest invention that Romanoff was concurrently lost in her own thoughts without losing a single word of what Spangles was droning on about in this snooze fest.   
\---------------------------------

\-----------------------


	3. Star Spangled Monologues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve centric chapter. Tony and Steve still have some things to work out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bruce is up next, before getting into the heavily Loki/Tony chapters. Natasha didn't really fit into the plot before they meet well, but that's to be expected. She kinda just does her own thing.

\-----------------------------  
Seriously, who the hell actually paid attention to these boring meetings? Well, OK so Thor did, but that's because he's an idiot. Bruce pays attention, but he's just too nice to not pay attention. Tony would bet the rights to his latest invention that Romanoff was concurrently lost in her own thoughts without losing a single word of what Spangles was droning on about in this snooze fest.  
\---------------------------------

"I know this is a tough situation for all of us, but with hard work and dedication to justice we'll get through it togethe-"  
~SHUT UP AND SLEEP WITH ME, COME ON WHY DON'T YOU SLEEP WITH ME? SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP~

With annoyance practically palpable, the inhabitants of the room turned toward the offending sound in Tony's hand. Wiggling his phone meaningfully, "Sorry to leave this adorable little pow wow you've got going on capsicle but, you know, important SI business. Duty calls and all that." A cheesy grin plastered on his face as he made for the door.

"To--ny" Steve's commanding voice dragged out the two syllables in a cloyingly parental manner. God, Tony wished he would stop doing that.

The retreating engineer didn't hesitate as he opened the door with a dismissive wave. "Bruce can give me the cliff notes. I, at least, have better things to do then listen to the latest gossip about Thor's family. " Tony gave a backward glance over to the pissed off group of heroes as the door closed. No one looked at all please with him, but when were they ever?

"Thanks for that, J."  
"Of course Sir. But might I suggest a change in ring tone? It might add a touch of believability to my interruptions."  
"No can do, Jarv." Tony replied, pulling a genuine smile. "There's only so much inane information and team building I take. The sooner Captain America figures that out the better." 

The billionaire's smile quirked into a slight frown. Steve had a way of getting under his skin. Most of the time Tony was quite proud of himself for not flying off the handle when Steve would bring up his dad, act like he knew Howard better than Tony, try to get Tony to see 'a different side' of the pathetic excuse of a father he had. Tony told himself he didn't give a damn that Howard had deemed Steve worthy of the his time, decency, and everything else that had mattered while Tony somehow had never made the cut. Yep. Not one single fuck to give about it.

"Screw 'im" muttered the engineer as he meandered towards the lab, lost in thought. Steve is such a fucking perfect 'hero' isn't he?! Fucking jerk is buff as hell, pure as a two year old, would sacrifice himself for a kitten, and has that god forsaken bleeding heart that everyone looks up to and loves! Well, screw that! Tony refused to live like that delusional red white and blue monk living in a make-believe world! 

"Jarvis." Tony punched in the code to his lab.  
"Sir." the AI responded in kind.  
"Play daddy something soothing."

.2625 seconds later the room was bathed in the pounding sound waves of AC/DC. 

The genius relaxed. Letting the music drown out his thoughts, his mind slipped into a zen like state he only ever found while working in the lab.

"Oh, and Jarvis?"  
"Yes, Sir?"  
"You're going to need to order some more booze."  
"...Anything in particular, Sir?"  
"Booze, J. I'm gonna need more booze."  
With that he tore off the cap of a random bottle of alcohol and set into a long afternoon of drunken tinkering.


	4. What Friends Are For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brucie spends some quality time with Tony and his own head space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally getting close to the actual plot and not this eternal set up! XO I think the next chapter will be the meet-cute for frostiron.

\-----------------------  
"Sir, Mr. Odinson's continued pacing will result in carpet damage within the next half hour."  
"Property damage isn't going to make me work any faster, thunder head." The engineer muttered.  
"Mr. Odinson is now requesting a progress report on the magic locator. This is the 54th of such requests."  
"Yeah, well you can tell him to go to that place he mentions wherever I tell him to go to hell. He gets it when I say so."  
\-----------------------  
A sequence of tones heralded the entrance of the only other person with security clearance to Tony's lab: Bruce Banner.

"What's is this all about Tony? I just heard that you told Thor to go to Valhalla and Jarvis says you've been done with the magic locator for hours! I know I never briefed you on the meeting but you did get that they want this as soon as possible, right?" Bruce's face caught in smiling grimace as he took in Tony's appearance

The engineer's hair pointed out in all directions with one hand buried in said spiky mess. His eyes unfocused, limbs sprawled away from him.

"Tony? Hey, are you okay?"  
"Wha-? Oh, yeah. Fine.... No. Not fine. I dunno, aagghh!" The engineer scrubbed his eye sockets with his palms.

His visitor pulled up a chair, concern evident in his expression. "You want to talk about it?"  
No response came. Neither one moved; the room filled with an uneasy silence.  
"You've been kinda off ever since Thor showed up with the news about Loki." Bruce paused waiting for a confirmation, getting none he continued. "This has something to do with that, doesn't it?"

Inhaling deeply, Tony pushed his chair back and focused on the ceiling. "I..." His voice dropped off. "I'm designing Loki a prison cell." His voice so haggard as to be almost indiscernible.

Banner's eyes blew wide with shock, "WHAT!? WHY??"

"Because he deserves to be punished!" Tony shot back loudly.  
Eyes furrowing, Bruce only took a moment before rejoining "Is this about getting revenge?"

"NO! It's, god- Bruce, everything's been so messed up since the nuke. The nightmares, the..." Tony shivered. "I, I can't do it. I thought I could send him back, no problems, but... He deserves to be punished, not tortured. What kind of person have I become that I almost could send him back to THAT knowing--." Tony's eyes full of unreadable emotion as he took another drink.

"Oh, it's that." The doctor barely whispered, his eyes softening into something resembling pity. 

Ever after the invasion Tony had struggled with PTSD. Not that he was officially diagnosed, of course, because the stubborn ass would never agree to get help, but it had been obvious enough to the rest of his team.

Everyone knew to avoid Tony's triggers: torture and Asgardians. 

Torture had always been a hot button issue with Tony. Now,however, the mere mention of it could incite a world of imagined horrors, ticket for one. Unfortunately for Thor, thunder god and prince of Asgard, it was impossible to avoid the fact that he was the living embodiment of the Ironman's newest phobia. It had taken months for things to settle into a more relaxed relationship between the two.

No one blamed Tony though. Nearly dying in space to save the world from an alien invasion led by an Asgardian god... Yeah, no one blamed him for the emotional scars he took away from that.

But the scientist couldn't figure out why Tony would want to keep the actual offending Asgardian on earth? Wasn't Tony afraid of being tortured by Loki? Or had his phobia convinced the engineer that all Asgardians torture?

Perhaps Tony was lying in an attempt keep Loki close so he could get revenge? Bruce didn't want to believe that. Maybe Tony really was concerned about some supposed and unknown torture the mischief good might encounter on his return to Asgard? That seemed like a stretch too, though.

Surely it didn't take a psychologist's credentials to understand the broken genius sitting address from him. Yet, the answer remained elusive.

"Okay, I got it. No Asgardian torture."  
Bruce was sure that the idea of keeping the god of chaos on earth wouldn't be a popular one. Obviously, Thor would want his brother returned. Shield would either want him in their custody (which probably would be as good as torture to Tony) or as far away from earth as possible, aka Asgard. Bruce himself, thought that the puny god should be housed as far away as possible and yet...

Bruce Banner wasn't a hero. Or at least, he'd never think of himself as one. The hulk was just a monster utilized as a weapon, while he was just a normal guy capable of very little on his own. But the one thing Bruce knew he was fully capable of doing was protecting his only real friend, Tony Stark. 

The man behind the monster resolved to be Tony's shield; his heart couldn't afford failing his friend again.  
Mentally, emotionally, physically.  
Whatever it took.  
No matter the cost.


	5. What it means to try

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony wants to do the right thing, but what the hell is that exactly?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the huge delay, it was silver week here in Japan and that means a week of vacationing and then recovery for me. Back now.

\-------------------  
Captain America's confident voice rang out over the coms, "Avengers, head out!"

Tony watched the video feed of earth's mightiest heroes flying off into the distance looking all epic and determined. Tony sat in his favorite swivel chair contemplating the picture of such an impressive looking group of will be failures. Another second later, the feed is cut and Tony turns back to pouring over the holo-screens of his safe house turned ultra awesome magic-god-proof holding cell.

"Sir", Jarvis' voice interrupted, "I am under the impression that your current actions may lead to some particularly unwelcome results. Perhaps if you-"  
"No, Jarvis. We're not telling anyone, especially not Bruce."

Bruce- Tony thought of how rare it was to find someone like him. Intelligent, funny, more than tolerable... a person who would also tolerate Tony being, well- Tony. 

The billionaire thought of the countless times that he'd put his own needs first, second and third without a thought of how it would affect Bruce or anyone for that matter. He thought of all the times his ideas had gotten the good doctor into trouble. Actually, he had got all the Avengers in serious trouble more than once.

The "merchant of death" still as fitting a title now as it ever was.   
Then there were those nightmares.... 

The blackness of space spread out before him, engulfing him. The earth crumbles to nothing- nothing- nothing all because of him. Everyone is dead- Steve, Thor, Clint, Natasha, Bruce... all dead. The bodies and blood he's responsible for piled high. And he stands on top of it all, his armored foot crunching the stiff bodies of loved ones below.

A voice chanting in his mind "Dead. Dead. Everything and everyone dead, all because of you!!"  
Tony shivered.

"No matter what I do, it'll be the wrong thing, J." The exhaustion evident in his posture and voice. 

"Indeed, Sir. I simply hope that your good intentions don't pave a certain road."

Tony scrunched his nose at that. Sometimes it really did seem like Jarvis was more than "Just a Rather Intelligent System."

"I " his voice hitched for a moment, unwanted emotions bartering their way to the surface. "When, I stop trying. That's when it's over." 

It felt like fate, that sickeningly realistic nightmare. A responsibility he couldn't shake off; he would end them all. He would do something stupid, probably selfish, something Tony and it would be all over. 

The engineer looked over at his various tools on the table. Any number of them would be adept in a suicide attempt. He picked them up one by one, lost in his morbid thoughts of how he would accomplish the task with each one.

No, no poetry there. Tony could occasionally be poetic and death seemed to be a fitting time. A callous hand then moved to his chest, caressing the arch reactor. 

Wouldn't it be just perfect? Yeah, a heartless Tony. With a deft flick of his wrist he had the arch reactor unlocked, and he pulled-

Tony looked over his creation, the wires still attached to his body.

"Greedy bastard."

How much safer would the world be if he wasn't in it? How much longer would his friends live if he would only give that much more of himself?

He thought of Yinsen.

....No, life was a gift he couldn't take for granted. Yinsen had died for him. He couldn't throw that sacrifice away, right?

He is a good guy now, and good guys try. OK, so he's still a selfish, billionaire, playboy, but that doesn't stop him from trying when it's important.

And this, this is important.  
\-----------------------


	6. Good life decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Loki is found and Tony should really pay more attention to things outside of his own brain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for old Norse! These chapters are pretty small looking, but i'd rather get the finished prices out, rather than sit on them. Will probably reformat the chapters later. Lol and yeah Jarvis has a habit of talking to Tony in code. Simple, and easily breakable but it's not for security... Just to be cute?

\--------------------

"Modifications to Safehouse22 are complete. Ready for your guest at any time, Sir."  
"Thank you, Jarvis. What would I do without you?"  
"I shudder to think, Sir."

\-----------------------

"Finally decided to get your lazy ass of of the tower today, did ya?" Clint made her another jab at Tony.

"I have missed your eccentricities man of iron, your child-like babblings are most entertaining!" Thor beamed.

"I wish we could have dragged you out of here earlier, the team could have really used your help on this goose chase." Steve tried to sound good natured but it came off more chiding.

Tony's heart rate spiked. 'Goose chase.' 

"Heh, yeah. You guys are literally lost without me, aren't you?" He tried to assume a tone of bravado that he didn't feel while he worked with the magic tracker.

"Tony, has the signal you picked up moved yet?" Natasha asked, tone business as always.

"Nope, ETA:30 min." Tony clipped back.

\------------

"Don't hold your breath, he's a slippery fucker. We haven't caught up with him once this entire week." Clint stated ignorant of Thor scowling at his back. 

"Too early for name calling?" Tony surmised.

"Shield brother or not, I would not look kindly upon those who would defame my broth--" Thor's eyes went wide with shock.

"BROTHER!"

There a few hundred feet away was a figure dressed in black. Tony's cameras zoomed in just in time to see Thor's absolute shock mirrored on his not-brother's face.

Loki had obviously just noted their arrival when his surprised visage was consumed in a cloud of green. Once the gaseous cloud vanished Loki was dressed in his armor, bull-horned helmet and all. 

"I have told you that I AM NOT!" he yelled across the distance with an accompanying blast of green.

"Use not your sorcery on me brother; I have not come here to challenge you in sœmð guðr!" While Thor's words were placating, well attempting to be, he steadily advanced on Loki's person.

Loki visibly stuttered for a moment, "You... have not...? By Yggdrasil's wisdom, what in the Norns are you rambling on about Thor!?"

At Loki's agitated rebuttal Thor instantly lost his confidence. "I-but your message stated, the guard-"

"Are you to be fooled by all of Asgard!? I left no message for you, I did not challenge you to sœmð guðr, and I have no use of a palace guard who would be least likely to do as I would command!" 

Thor's mouth was agape; slowly he turned towards Tony. Those big blue eyes full of questions and something else, accusations?? Tony didn't know what to make of the searching look. Hell, Tony wasn't an innocent man but how Thunder-for-brains thought Tony might be pulling strings in Asgard was beyond the mortal genius.

Luckily, Loki stole Thor's attention back. "You are even more a fool if you believed that Odin would honor the results of sœmð guðr!"

"Brother, our father yet loves yo-"

"Naðr! Ódæll villtr Óðinn-niðr!" Loki's face contorted as the foreign words were spit out.

Tony panicked as whatever Loki, god of lies and generally pissing people off, just said to Thor had done just that. Irate the Thunderer barreled into Loki, his substantial mass now pinning the smaller god to the ground. 

"No, YOU are the serpent!" Thor bellowed, Mjölnir pressed against the offending throat. "And I shall not tolerate your slander nor your lies! I will have you stand before All Father and repent your misdeeds that He might grant you mercy!"

Loki's mouth was moving, but no sound came out. It was difficult to tell if he was attempting to formulate a response or just trying to breathe. Either way Iron Man had seen enough.

Seriously, who was it that said Tony made intelligent life decisions? Oh right, nobody.

A repulsor blast made contact with the cement 33.16 centimeters away from the tangle of brothers. Tony noted the distance groaning- god his AI was sassy.

"Worth it." Tony thought as he saw the look of absolute shock and confusion on both of their godly faces. He'd do it again just to see- scratch that. He'd just get the video from Jarvis and make a 10 hour loop of it. Because hell, it's not everyday that you scare the living shit out of two alien gods.

"Friend Tony, what is the meaning of this?" 

\--------------------------


	7. We're a Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony can be touchy...

"Friend Tony, what is the meaning of this?" Distrustful blue eyes were glowering at him.

"Yeah! What the actual fuck Tony?!" Clint's bow was half raised.

"Tooony!" Spangles said in that infuriating parental voice as if Tony was 5 year old in need of correcting. 

"Jeez everybody relax!" Tony pointedly looked over at Bruce. "Not mind controlled or anything, just thought that we might want to interrogate the deviant devil before he's choked or whisked away to rainbow land!"

Bruce looked on edge, understandably so, but he hadn't turned green yet so everything was going according to plan. Well, at least the part that Bruce was privy to.

"That wasn't the plan." Natasha stated it as if commenting on the weather, but Tony knew better than to assume that this would go smoothly.

"It seems like a good plan to me! Or did everybody actually want to ship off the guy who nearly leveled New York back home without even questioning him?!"

Silence. 

The other Avengers said nothing as they each were focused on an internal debate.

"Shield hasn't approved this." The red-headed spy paused momentarily "...yet."

"Ah, well. I'm sure they'll be happy to hear he'll be under my extraordinary anti-sparkly-green-shit supervision." Tony's sarcastic tone hiding just how eager he was to sell the idea.

"Your... what?" Steve asked honestly confused.

"He's apparently made something that can contain Loki's magic." Natasha supplied.

Clearly some team members were a little quicker than the others, Tony thought with an eye roll. 

"Well, I am a gei-"

"ENOUGH!" Thor's bellow could be felt just as well as heard. "Friends!" His voice carrying a growl. "I thank you for your assistance in acquiring my brother. I must now make haste to my father's side that He will not want for my brother's presence more than He must." Thor grabbed his captive roughly, pulling him up till they were both standing.

"I'd hate to disappoint the 'All Daddy', but pretty little princess here is staying."

Loki's eyes locked onto Tony with an intensity that he didn't know how to deal with. Green eyes that drew him in, filled him and tugged on Tony's conscience. He had the urge to put Loki's distress and confusion to rest. He wanted to tell Loki why he was doing this, why he was sticking up for the would be invader of his planet. He needed to assure Loki that no harm would come to him, that Tony would protect the god with everything he had from THEM. 

A wave of sensations washed over Tony. "Fuuck, not again." 

His breathing shallowed, his body tingling with emotion it seemingly couldn't contain. The world blurred as his mind become occupied with the feeling and consciousness of his own body. He was aware of his limbs becoming overly sensitive, his fingertips felt as if they were being stabbed with countless tiny needles, and his body becoming both weightless and immovable. He was stuck in a world of sensations that bordered on pain. 

Tony could hardly think for how much his brain was processing the sensory overload of just...everything. The overstimulation was starting to cause a clawing effect on his over taxed brain. "Breathe!" Tony tried to internally scream to himself but the word felt far away. 

"Breathe, breathe, breathe, just breathe, breathe and it'll be okay. See? You're breathing. You're okay." Tony thought, and not for the first time, that this was what insanity must feel like.

"RUOOAAAGH!"

Tony's eyes opened, not remembering when he had closed them, to the Avengers bickering and- shit. The green machine was out to play.

"What manner of betrayal is this?!" Thor flew into the air, his captive brother held close, dodging a blow from the Hulk. The god's line of sight never strayed from Tony despite the situation.

"Jarvis, update please?" 

"Dr. Banner intervened when you became unresponsive and related some of your concerns regarding Asgardian law. Mr Odinson, however, considered them to be 'slanderous' and the conversation escalated rather quickly from there. Mr Banner transformed once Mr Odinson began making threats to your person."

"Awesome."

Tony scanned the battlefield. The other Avengers hadn't engaged yet, probably conflicted on who they should help. Thank God! Or the gods... You know what!? Thank coffee! Coffee saved his life on a daily basis; thank fucking coffee.

"Listen, Thor. I just came today to pick up your little brother. So, if you'd kindly stop treating him like a stress ball, we'll be on our way."

"Oh. My. God!" Hawkeye yelled out, his eyes growing larger with every punctuated word. "You fucking bastard! That's why you've been holed up in your lab this whole time!" Clint, the ungraceful idiot, was gaping opened mouthed at the genius. Shocked realization painted on his face. 

“Tony!” The captain’s voice full of emotion called out. “How… how could you? We’re a team Tony!”

Tony could feel his cheeks heat with shame; he hated doing this, letting his team down. Would he ever get their trust back? Feeding them false information, leading them on a goose-chase, stealing a wanted criminal… He swallowed, his throat tight and painful.

“I-...” his voice died out, even now he couldn’t say anything more about why he had to do this. There was nothing to say that the Avengers didn’t already know. They just needed to trust him, trust that he knew what he was doing because…

The captain’s voice rang out again hitting Tony with the force of a superhuman blow. 

“Howard would be ashamed of you right now!”

 

Instantaneously the air was filled with a mass of burning flames, the cacophony of explosions deafening. The blinding light seared into the retinas of those not quick enough to shield themselves while the thick billowing smoke that followed made it difficult for them to see or breathe. 

Precious seconds were lost to the confusion. The team recovered, everyone relatively unhurt. No one said a word- Loki and Tony were gone.


End file.
